A Gentle Push (rewrite)
by LIFE the RANGER
Summary: WARNING! DO NOT READ IF YOU ABSOLUTELY LOATHE BOY/BOY PAIRINGS! Okay, not that that's done. Will and Horace are careful around each other. Each boy thinks the other likes the princess, and it bothers them greatly. With a gentle push from Evanlyn, Will and Horace soon find that they like each other rather than the princess. Rated T cause it's BOY/BOY!


Okay, so obviously this story already exists, but this is a different spin on it. I'll let you guys be the judges. Which one do you think is better? This is going to be quite different than the already existing story. I apologize. I tried reworking the other one, but it wouldn't work.

…

Horace couldn't help but let his gaze travel over his companion. Companions. Although one in particular was keeping his attention. Will twisted in his saddle and smiled at the battleschool apprentice. Horace flushed and glanced away. It wasn't that he didn't want to be caught staring. Something about Will just…flustered him. Will was normally reserved, but around Evanlyn (aka Princess Cassandra), he really opened up. If Horace didn't know any better, he'd say Will liked Evanlyn. But he knew Will liked boys. He wasn't sure how he knew, he just did.

"Earth to Horace," Will said, dropping back so his horse was level with Kicker. "You're so spacey. Evanlyn just told you a story about how she turned herself into a frog and crawled into your underwear." A faint blush crept up to Horace's cheeks. Evanlyn put her hand up to her mouth and giggled.

"Um…" Horace began awkwardly. Really, what was he supposed to say to that? Will rolled his eyes, unknown to the apprentice warrior of course, and urged Tug on, trotting ahead of Horace once again. Not for the first time, the battleschool apprentice wished the apprentice ranger would stay back with him so they could talk. But Will was scouting ahead of them. Instead, Evanlyn drew level with him.

"You really do love him, don't you?" she asked quietly. Horace hissed out a breath.

"Quiet!" he warned her, glancing anxiously at the apprentice ranger. But Will was still busy scouting ahead and hadn't heard what his friends were talking about. "I don't love him," Horace continued in the same hushed tone. "He's my best friend. And he's kinda saved my behind more than one time."

"A hero crush," Evanlyn translated, smiling smugly. "Admit it Horace. You're in love with your best friend." Horace sighed.

"I am not," he huffed. "We're just friends, that's all. I can't love him anyway. I'm pretty sure he loves someone else." Horace gazed, a little wistfully, at the back of Will. That was the sad truth of the matter. Will's heart, he said, belonged to someone else. Though who it was, Horace hadn't the foggiest. He just knew that he knew who it was. That sure narrowed things down. Maybe it was George. Horace shuddered. Out of all the boys Will could've fallen for, why George?

"Hey Horace!" Will called from where he'd stopped about twenty yards away. "It's getting dark. Let's dismount and get camp set up." When Evanlyn and Horace drew level with Will, the battleschool apprentice swung down from his saddle. He then offered his arm and helped Evanlyn down. Will's eyes narrowed in the cowl of his cloak. Horace sure was getting cozy with the princess. Could it be possible that he was starting to fall for her? That stirred some unexplained feelings in his stomach. If he really wanted to admit it to himself, seeing Horace with Evanlyn bothered Will. But he was too prideful to admit something like that. "Go gather firewood," he told the apprentice warrior crossly. "Evanlyn, food." The princess and the apprentice warrior exchanged an amused look.

"Yes Master Will," Horace said with a mock bow. He wandered off a few paces, searching under the underbrush for dry pieces of wood and kindling. Evanlyn began spreading out dried ingredients in front of the hastily made fire pit. Will strung up the tarp they used for shelter when it was going to rain, and judging from the clouds, it would rain soon. Will leaned back against a tree and watched Horace and Evanlyn cook together. His stomach churned as Horace reached out and "accidently" brushed his hand against hers.

"Will!" Evanlyn called. "Dinner's ready!" Will threw the cowl of his cloak back and strode over to the couple. He took the offered wooden bowl of food from Horace and sat down on the opposite side of the fire from him. Horace frowned thoughtfully as he ate his stew. Evanlyn glanced between the two boys. Why couldn't they just admit their feelings for each? Boys were complicated, the princess decided. "I'll take first watch," she offered. She grabbed up her traveling cloak and moved away from the tiny campsite. That left the two boys staring awkwardly at each other. Horace shifted in his seat and grumbled something, moving off in the other direction as Evanlyn. That left Will, who set his bowl of untouched food aside.

"Stupid feelings," he mumbled. "Why don't you just go away? You don't love him. It's just a hero crush or something like that." Will got up and stretched his aching limbs. Riding all day was great on time, not so great on the muscles. He paced in front of the fire for a few minutes. He was reluctant to leave the campsite, yet he was lonely. He walked off in the general direction Horace had gone, and found the apprentice warrior doing mock drills in a scraped out circle. Horace called the positions out softly as he went. Overhand. Backhand. Backhand. Uppercut. It was amazing to watch really. Will leaned against the tree closest to Horace's mock arena and watched him, concealed in his cloak once again. Horace would really have to be looking to spot him now.

"Rest!" Horace called to himself. He let the sword point fall lightly to the dirt, and he let out a breath. "Whew." He swung the sword up onto his massive shoulders and moved toward Will. He leapt back in surprise when the apprentice ranger stepped out of the shadows. "Gorlog's teeth Will, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"No," Will said with a frown. "I just wanted the company and I saw you practicing. I thought it would be rude to interrupt." Horace nodded his approval.

"Interrupting during training is bad indeed," he agreed. "It throws us off rhythm." Will shook his head in wonderment as he trailed Horace back to the fire. He was aware of Evanlyn a mere twenty meters away, studying them intently. Will sat down and Horace took the spot beside him. Their shoulders touched, but neither boy moved away. Horace glanced over and smiled at the apprentice ranger. Will wasn't known for enjoying close contact, but here he was, letting Horace sit as close to him as possible. The apprentice warrior glanced down, and noticed one of Will's hands was spread out beside him. On an impulse, he snatched it up and twined their fingers together. A small smile touched Will's features, and even Horace could see it through his cloak. "You're smiling Will," he whispered, leaning in close.

"I know Horace," the apprentice ranger replied. "This is the first time I've really smiled all day." Horace frowned at that.

"How come?" he asked curiously. Will's smile only widened.

"There hasn't been a reason to," he replied. He held up their combined hands. "But now there is." Horace grinned at that. He was happy to hear that he was the reason Will was smiling. Horace wanted so bad to lean in and kiss the smaller boy, but something was holding him back. Maybe it was nerves. Or maybe it was simply the fact he was deathly afraid Will would shoot him if he didn't like the kiss.

"Hey Horace!" Evanlyn called from her vantage point. Horace swung his head toward her voice. "You know what to do Horace! Don't be afraid!" Horace did know what she was talking about, and he did know what to do. He rose, drawing Will up with him.

"Horace, what in the devil…" Will was cut off as Horace snaked his arms around the apprentice ranger's waist and softly kissed him. Their lips melded together and Horace lifted Will of his feet. For a second, Will was caught totally off guard. But soon he relaxed into Horace's strong embrace and kissed him back. He'd been dying to do that since Gilan left. He just hadn't found the courage.

"Wow Will," Horace breathed when they pulled apart. "That was amazing. I didn't know you could kiss like that." Will chuckled lowly.

"How could you?" he asked, wrapping his arms around the battleschool apprentice's neck. "That was my first kiss. Ever and with you." Horace laughed and shook his head.

"Could've fooled me," he replied, lifting Will off his feet again and twirling him around. The cowl of his ranger's cloak fell back, revealing the biggest smile the apprentice warrior had ever seen. "Wow Will, you have an amazing smile," Horace commented. "And it's all for me." He left a trail of kisses down the apprentice ranger's neck, and Will giggled.

From her vantage point twenty meters away, Evanlyn smiled. She was glad to see the two boys finally working out their feelings. There's nothing worse than sexual tension, she mused. Especially when it came to these two thick-skulled boys. If she hadn't given Horace a gentle push, they might still be tip-toeing around each other. That wouldn't be good for anyone. Especially Will and Horace. They'd slowly get heartbroken over things they'd made up in their heads. She turned to look at them (because they'd grown silent) and smiled. Horace was gently stroking back Will's hair as the smaller boy slept. The apprentice warrior turned to her and placed a finger on his lips.

"He's asleep," he whispered, gazing down fondly at the sleeping boy. "Isn't he cute?" He kissed Will's forehead and laid down with him.

"Very cute," Evanlyn whispered back._ Yes_, she thought to herself._ A gentle push was all they needed_. She watched with a smile as Horace fell asleep holding Will.

…

Well, since this one is obviously longer, you guys already know which one is my favorite. I want to make a point with you all. You guys hate my straight pairing story, don't you? Why? Because it's not what I write about! So quit your complaining!


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